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Back False Witness Save as PDF
Chapters (100)
  1. Cover
  2. Title page
  3. Dedication page
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. Acknowledgements
  97. DEAD GUILTY
  98. 1
  99. FALSE WITNESS
  100. Also by Michelle Davies

It was only when she met Ewan, at a work event, that she began to believe she wasn’t ugly, boring and stupid – just a few of the insults Imogen and her classmates would toss out daily. Ewan told her she was beautiful and that he’d always look after her and while Julia’s self-esteem would forever be bruised and never quite sure of itself, he’d helped raise it to a level where she could look in a mirror and not see her eight-year-old self staring back, reminding her how hideous she was.

Aside from her parents, he was the only person she’d ever confided in about the bullying. She had to, because of what happened when they rowed for the first time. It had been over something so inconsequential that she couldn’t remember the details now, but she could vividly recall how she’d curled up in a corner of the room and sobbed at him to leave her alone. He was horrified, thinking he must’ve done or said something really abhorrent to make her react in such an extreme way, and at first had struggled to understand how embedded the effects of the bullying were, thinking she should be over it given that it happened a decade previously. Now, after almost sixteen years together and having witnessed Julia’s reactions, he understood.

There was a rustling in a bush nearest the back door. It was probably a hedgehog or next-door’s cat but it made Julia jump and hauled her focus away from her memories. She decided to go back inside and make herself a cuppa, but as she got to her feet she was suddenly gripped by another uncomfortable thought.

There was a time when she used to daydream constantly about making Imogen suffer the same kind of mental torture she was forced to endure, when she would’ve given anything for Imogen to experience a fraction of the distress she experienced.

Now, with her son dead, Imogen was.

Julia knew she shouldn’t think it, that it was wicked to let it cross her mind even for a second, but part of her was glad.

15

Half a mile away Alan Donnelly was also awake. He’d drunk three double whiskies at bedtime to knock himself out, but now he was fully alert and the hangover he wasn’t expecting until morning was banging on the inside of his skull and churning up his insides. He’d moved from his bed to the sofa, hoping that lying propped up against the cushions might help, but still he couldn’t settle so just after four thirty, as the first hint of dawn smouldered at the horizon, he let himself out of the house and walked the two streets to the school.